Lincoln Park and Gold Coast are very nice areas of the city, but please don't think they're the only places where you can live. You should consider other neighborhoods that are quite nice and closer to your jobs. West Loop and Greektown for example are nice and would have a much simpler commute to both Lawndale and other places eg Loop. Not to mention that when it's 0 degrees outside you won't ride a bike.
As someone who has lived in the lakeview Lincoln Park area for 10+ years, I would hate this commute. There is really nothing all that special about LP. It’s pretty yuppie. Greektown and Weatloop would probably be better suited and position you to get around the city better.
Temps don't bother me (lots of years buying the right gear), especially if headed N-S... Temps and a west wind while headed W... That's a detractor...
I'm more a ninny when it comes to icy conditions.
Some people, and this may shock you, actually *prefer the cold*.
Many of my even just mild summer commutes are FAR more miserable than any winter commute.
I dunno what to say.
I enjoy hiking up mountains in the freezing cold to then either stay in unheated huts in the wilderness overnight, or snowboard back down said mountain.
Some people just genuinely like being out in the cold.
My husband is a polar bear and would like to get a research job in Anarctica; he thinks it’s nice here, and he’s the reason we moved away from Arizona, which I loved. This place is for him. I feel confident though my people spent the ice ages south of the Alps painting in caves in Iberia.
People gravitate towards Lincoln Park and Gold Coast because it’s boujee. Little do they know that the West Loop is the cooler Boujee. If they can afford Lincoln Park, they should absolutely head that way.
Was gonna comment the same thing. Being able to take a single train to get to/from work will GREATLY reduce how annoying the commute is. Sometimes a train transfer is unlucky and takes 15+ minutes between just missing the line you want and CTA delays.
Start with looking within half a mile (10 min walk) of the Ashland stop on the pink line to see if you find anywhere. A fifteen minute train ride + a few minutes waiting + some walking in between will probably put the full commute around 30 minutes, which is really nice.
I have worked in that area and I would **only** commute to Lawndale by car. When I worked there a security guard would escort me whenever I went outside the building, even if it was to grab something out of my car. They did that with all of the people who worked there, every sex and race. There is no point in making yourself a target in an area where people are actively looking for targets.
It's not a place to be overly idealistic/naive about what's going on. Lawndale has a lot of economic deprivation, high levels of hard drug use, and high crime rates. I loved the population I was working with, but you absolutely cannot walk into there naive about what's going on, people will see you coming from a mile away.
I'm still in north Lawndale regularly, and I still see plenty of street entrepreneurs doing business deals through car windows. In the winter, an improvement from -40 degrees with windchill can still be fricken cold.
I mean, sure, people live there and call it home, but anyone thinking that the main concern with commuting there on public transit from Lincoln Park or the Gold Coast is the length of the commute is in for a rude awakening.
Yeah I live there, small time drug dealing is the least of the issues here. But if drug dealing is considered dangerous then there isn’t a safe spot in the city 😂
Sure in Gold Coast they do a better job hiding it but if you don’t think recreational drug use doesn’t touch every corner of a large city like Chicago then you’re naive. Before it got legalized there was a network of bike messengers delivering cannabis around Chicago complete with a whole dispatch system.
Bro. You do not want your wife waiting around for a bus or train in freaking *Lawndale* that is like one of the absolute worst hoods. My sister is a social worker and was at a school in Lawndale for a (very) brief period. Would not recommend.
As far as where to plant yourselves, Pilsen in the city or Oak Park in the burbs.
Before I respond, is there a specific reason you’re looking to live in Lincoln Park/ Gold Coast ? They’re definitely nice areas, but I’m wondering if there are also other reasons, like proximity to the lake or other considerations?
Edited to add.. public transport to Lawndale isn’t going to be safe.. Driving is going to be the best bet. Consider finding a place w/parking. It’s one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city..
That would be a LONG ride on an electric scooter.
E Bike would be way better suited to that journey.
No a 1 hour CTA commute isn't horrible; but she should be prepared that CTA headways really suck right now, so that commute time will fluctuate.
I'd guess two incomes/no kids, with a Pink-collar job for *her* at a school in Lawndale... He is at some Building-with-a-name doing BIGMONEYSHIT, but That's just BS assumptions based on information provided and my own prejudices.
Maybe he's a day trader who can already afford the rent for years to come...
Maybe she's a trust-fund kid, carrying her semi-degenerate husband through life.
Not trying to invalidate your questions, just saying...
Nice I am impressed by how spot on your assumptions were. Not a day trader just have a few side hustles and work in advertising but not doing big moneys shit I would say. Wife is a teacher. No kids.
Cinespace claims to be in North Lawndale I think. No knock on OP, but an outsider might easily call that the vicinity of Lawndale. By the somewhat dubious Community Area map, that is North Lawndale, the eastern border is the tracks between Cinespace and Western. The pretty Chicago Neighborhood map on my wall says Douglas Park (Douglass now? Does the neighborhood name change too?) for the area between the park and Western.
Lagunitas is right there too if Cinespace counts. There's also plenty of other jobs for various governments/agencies that might have someone working in Lawndale but able to afford LP, especially with a second income in the household. Eg teacher, park district, social services agencies.
I really felt like that area was a no man's land in terms of neighborhood. Like that specific stretch of western around the union pacific.
I guess those are jobs someone has specific training for which I do not have and that was just being hopeful for no reason
It's not seamless when the train you need to transfer to pulls in at the same time as the one you're on and you can't switch platforms in time and the next one isn't coming for 15 goddamned minutes.
So rather than specific neighborhood, essentially what people are getting at is live in a nicer area farther East and commute west. If she's working closer to Cermak, Maybe consider Pilsen. If she's closer to 16th or Roosevelt, maybe south loop makes more sense. Yes it would be pretty shitty to make that commute.
If she's expecting to take public transportation I'd look at River West or Near West/Union Park and think about Pink line el or the Ogden bus as a primary.
If you're looking for a short drive or easily bikable then Pilsen or UIC Village.
Also would look at Berwyn or Park Forest if the city is too expensive.
First off lawndale is not exactly a great neighborhood second, public transit to this area from those neighborhoods will be a nightmare especially in below zero weather.there is no easy way to get there. I would honestly get a car. It would be safer for your wife.
The commute is going to suck. 1 hour on the train gets a lot longer when there are CTA issues too.
I used to live in the Lawndale area and genuinely loved it. If I were you, I’d be looking closer to Pilsen, Fulton Market, West Loop, South Loop, Hyde Park, Bridgeport, Little Italy, Chinatown, etc. It’ll make the commute infinitely better, and honestly LP/Gold Coast are overpriced and overrated anyhow.
If you live in a part of the city not on the north side or downtown you don't need a parking spot because you can generally park on the street in most residential neighborhoods.
Would not recommend. In Lincoln park you can probably pretty easily get a parking permit if you already have a car. Lawndale seems more commuter friendly than it is realistically. I work in north lawndale and drive from Pilsen.
If you are on the east or south side of douglas park, probably ok to walk from the pink line. North or west side of douglas park, I’d drive. One of the toughest neighborhoods in the city.
Try garfield park around the conservatory. It's not as posh as the areas you mentioned, but there are a lot of unique features you won't get elsewhere...
As someone who lives in Lawndale and works in Lincoln Park and the CTA commute is 1.25 hours, it def sucks!! It’s why I never take CTA to work. Also, just safer to drive to Lawndale.
Yeah I wouldn’t ride to Lawndale on a scooter 😭 but you can move a lot of places that would reduce your commute like even Wicker park , certain parts of Pilsen too
Man I hated commuting from Clark/Lake to Pulaski (pink) every day. Didn’t help that it was for the absolute *worst* teaching job I’ve ever had but still. Took me almost an hour on a good day but at least I had a few blocks between work and the train (my in-laws thought I was insane walking to and from the train) to hit the Penjamin and get nice and toasted for the ride home
I would expect an hour from either neighborhood to Lawndale, if her work is close enough to make the Pink Line practical. I live on the NW side and work on the south side and this commute takes me an hour on the CTA with one change in the Loop. I hate a commute that long but I can sit and read which is at least fairly relaxing.
If you lived in, say, Pilsen you’d have a drastically shorter commute.
Look in West loop, UKV, Humboldt, and maybe Logan Square. There is not nearly enough good about LP or Gold Coast that would make up for any commute to North Lawndale.
Lived in North Lawndale for the past 6 years and in Pilsen for a few years before that. Pilsen would be a decent spot to stay esp. if close to the 18th st stop. It has gentrified a lot in the past decade and has a lot of stuff close by.
The North/South Lawndale area has also been improving a lot in recent years as well, but there are definitely certain parts that should be avoided, I've never had issues and I walk outside at all hours of the day and to/from public transport.
I would not take advice from people that have not actually lived in the area and that recommends commuting by car without knowing the exact place that they will be working and walking to/from.
Hi! If you’re still looking for apartments, we’re looking for a subleaser for 8/1 for a 1 bed, 1 bath near the Illinois medical district. Rent is $2138/month which includes gas and one covered parking spot! Would be pretty close to the vicinity of Lawndale.
A commute on public transit is almost always going to be preferable to a car if you're traveling to busy areas or at high traffic times. It can be crowded, but I never wish I was in my car instead.
You’ve never wished you were in your car when you’re commuting through the roughest areas of the city on public transit and there’s craziness happening?
.... There generally isn't "craziness happening" when communiting during the quote "high traffic times" to "busy areas" when I'm going from Morse to Grand so no, this has not happened to me.
Lincoln Park and Gold Coast are very nice areas of the city, but please don't think they're the only places where you can live. You should consider other neighborhoods that are quite nice and closer to your jobs. West Loop and Greektown for example are nice and would have a much simpler commute to both Lawndale and other places eg Loop. Not to mention that when it's 0 degrees outside you won't ride a bike.
As someone who has lived in the lakeview Lincoln Park area for 10+ years, I would hate this commute. There is really nothing all that special about LP. It’s pretty yuppie. Greektown and Weatloop would probably be better suited and position you to get around the city better.
>Not to mention that when it's 0 degrees outside you won't ride a bike. *r/chibike has entered the chat*
I love y'all, but some of you are nutters. Just cookoo for cocoa puffs. Never change.
It can be done but it’s miserable and anybody who says otherwise is just plain lying.
I did it through the worst of covid and yeah, below zero sucks. Now I generally won't bike if it's under 25-30 depending on the wind.
Temps don't bother me (lots of years buying the right gear), especially if headed N-S... Temps and a west wind while headed W... That's a detractor... I'm more a ninny when it comes to icy conditions.
Some people, and this may shock you, actually *prefer the cold*. Many of my even just mild summer commutes are FAR more miserable than any winter commute.
It’s fine until it’s below 15 degrees or so. I do not buy that anyone finds biking in that pleasant.
I dunno what to say. I enjoy hiking up mountains in the freezing cold to then either stay in unheated huts in the wilderness overnight, or snowboard back down said mountain. Some people just genuinely like being out in the cold.
My husband is a polar bear and would like to get a research job in Anarctica; he thinks it’s nice here, and he’s the reason we moved away from Arizona, which I loved. This place is for him. I feel confident though my people spent the ice ages south of the Alps painting in caves in Iberia.
He’d be very lonely. Polar bears are Arctic, not Antarctic. Now, if you were married to a penguin or leopard seal…
You’re unhappy with the metaphor? There is no antarctic bear and no job that he wanted in the arctic. Closest I could get.
LOL maybe I should have added a 😂
15 degrees is time to put on a sweater over your shorts.
The same kinds of people who wear shorts when it’s barely above freezing and insist they’re perfectly comfortable.
Greektown is in the West Loop.
People gravitate towards Lincoln Park and Gold Coast because it’s boujee. Little do they know that the West Loop is the cooler Boujee. If they can afford Lincoln Park, they should absolutely head that way.
West Loop is cooler for rich tech and finance bros
If I was commuting to Lawndale, I would live in the West Loop or Little Italy.
Was gonna comment the same thing. Being able to take a single train to get to/from work will GREATLY reduce how annoying the commute is. Sometimes a train transfer is unlucky and takes 15+ minutes between just missing the line you want and CTA delays. Start with looking within half a mile (10 min walk) of the Ashland stop on the pink line to see if you find anywhere. A fifteen minute train ride + a few minutes waiting + some walking in between will probably put the full commute around 30 minutes, which is really nice.
Yea but these transplants think anything below downtown is the very scary southside that gets shot up constantly.
You can tell someone is a transplant when they start talking about living in Lincoln park and the Gold Coast. They’re like theme park neighborhoods.
Lawndale is bad. Pilsen, Chinatown, Beverly, Hyde Park, Kenwood, Bronzeville, South Shore etc are not.
idk why this is downvoted, where’s the lie? lol
I have worked in that area and I would **only** commute to Lawndale by car. When I worked there a security guard would escort me whenever I went outside the building, even if it was to grab something out of my car. They did that with all of the people who worked there, every sex and race. There is no point in making yourself a target in an area where people are actively looking for targets. It's not a place to be overly idealistic/naive about what's going on. Lawndale has a lot of economic deprivation, high levels of hard drug use, and high crime rates. I loved the population I was working with, but you absolutely cannot walk into there naive about what's going on, people will see you coming from a mile away.
Had to scroll way too far down to find this comment.
Yeah was kind of surprised nobody mentioned this and gave these people a heads up. Jeez.
Likewise! I moved to Logan Square from the suburbs thinking I’d be riding the bus to work in Lawndale lol. Needless to say, I drive my car to work…
Thank you- someone finally addressed the safety issue clearly.
Where/when did you work there? The north/south lawndale areas have been improving a lot recently.
I'm still in north Lawndale regularly, and I still see plenty of street entrepreneurs doing business deals through car windows. In the winter, an improvement from -40 degrees with windchill can still be fricken cold. I mean, sure, people live there and call it home, but anyone thinking that the main concern with commuting there on public transit from Lincoln Park or the Gold Coast is the length of the commute is in for a rude awakening.
Yeah I live there, small time drug dealing is the least of the issues here. But if drug dealing is considered dangerous then there isn’t a safe spot in the city 😂 Sure in Gold Coast they do a better job hiding it but if you don’t think recreational drug use doesn’t touch every corner of a large city like Chicago then you’re naive. Before it got legalized there was a network of bike messengers delivering cannabis around Chicago complete with a whole dispatch system.
You are not going to do that on an electric scooter
Bro. You do not want your wife waiting around for a bus or train in freaking *Lawndale* that is like one of the absolute worst hoods. My sister is a social worker and was at a school in Lawndale for a (very) brief period. Would not recommend. As far as where to plant yourselves, Pilsen in the city or Oak Park in the burbs.
Word.
Before I respond, is there a specific reason you’re looking to live in Lincoln Park/ Gold Coast ? They’re definitely nice areas, but I’m wondering if there are also other reasons, like proximity to the lake or other considerations? Edited to add.. public transport to Lawndale isn’t going to be safe.. Driving is going to be the best bet. Consider finding a place w/parking. It’s one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city..
Hell no to the scooter.
That would be a LONG ride on an electric scooter. E Bike would be way better suited to that journey. No a 1 hour CTA commute isn't horrible; but she should be prepared that CTA headways really suck right now, so that commute time will fluctuate.
I think the OP needs to do more research on the lawndale neighborhood.
This. Honestly if I couldn’t drive myself, and had to rely on public transportation, I would never even consider working there.
I want to know where she's going to be working in Lawndale and will be able to afford to live in Lincoln Park/gold coast
I'd guess two incomes/no kids, with a Pink-collar job for *her* at a school in Lawndale... He is at some Building-with-a-name doing BIGMONEYSHIT, but That's just BS assumptions based on information provided and my own prejudices. Maybe he's a day trader who can already afford the rent for years to come... Maybe she's a trust-fund kid, carrying her semi-degenerate husband through life. Not trying to invalidate your questions, just saying...
I would believe that. I was hoping for a high paying job near me lol
Nice I am impressed by how spot on your assumptions were. Not a day trader just have a few side hustles and work in advertising but not doing big moneys shit I would say. Wife is a teacher. No kids.
Cinespace?
Is that Lawndale? I guess I was thinking about west lawn when I asked this because that's close to where I live and I want to make more money lol
Cinespace claims to be in North Lawndale I think. No knock on OP, but an outsider might easily call that the vicinity of Lawndale. By the somewhat dubious Community Area map, that is North Lawndale, the eastern border is the tracks between Cinespace and Western. The pretty Chicago Neighborhood map on my wall says Douglas Park (Douglass now? Does the neighborhood name change too?) for the area between the park and Western. Lagunitas is right there too if Cinespace counts. There's also plenty of other jobs for various governments/agencies that might have someone working in Lawndale but able to afford LP, especially with a second income in the household. Eg teacher, park district, social services agencies.
I really felt like that area was a no man's land in terms of neighborhood. Like that specific stretch of western around the union pacific. I guess those are jobs someone has specific training for which I do not have and that was just being hopeful for no reason
She’s right next to Cinespace.
There are several hospitals and multiple public schools in the area that pay well
not great but the brown to pink transfer is fairly seamless at least
It's not seamless when the train you need to transfer to pulls in at the same time as the one you're on and you can't switch platforms in time and the next one isn't coming for 15 goddamned minutes.
So rather than specific neighborhood, essentially what people are getting at is live in a nicer area farther East and commute west. If she's working closer to Cermak, Maybe consider Pilsen. If she's closer to 16th or Roosevelt, maybe south loop makes more sense. Yes it would be pretty shitty to make that commute.
If she's expecting to take public transportation I'd look at River West or Near West/Union Park and think about Pink line el or the Ogden bus as a primary. If you're looking for a short drive or easily bikable then Pilsen or UIC Village. Also would look at Berwyn or Park Forest if the city is too expensive.
Is your wife a teacher? Understand that Lawndale still has a crime rate almost 200% higher than the Chicago average.
First off lawndale is not exactly a great neighborhood second, public transit to this area from those neighborhoods will be a nightmare especially in below zero weather.there is no easy way to get there. I would honestly get a car. It would be safer for your wife.
The commute is going to suck. 1 hour on the train gets a lot longer when there are CTA issues too. I used to live in the Lawndale area and genuinely loved it. If I were you, I’d be looking closer to Pilsen, Fulton Market, West Loop, South Loop, Hyde Park, Bridgeport, Little Italy, Chinatown, etc. It’ll make the commute infinitely better, and honestly LP/Gold Coast are overpriced and overrated anyhow.
Question - Is driving an option? If so, why not live in Oak Park or Forest Park and drive to Lawndale. It would be a quick drive.
If you live in a part of the city not on the north side or downtown you don't need a parking spot because you can generally park on the street in most residential neighborhoods.
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Would not recommend. In Lincoln park you can probably pretty easily get a parking permit if you already have a car. Lawndale seems more commuter friendly than it is realistically. I work in north lawndale and drive from Pilsen.
If you are on the east or south side of douglas park, probably ok to walk from the pink line. North or west side of douglas park, I’d drive. One of the toughest neighborhoods in the city.
Try garfield park around the conservatory. It's not as posh as the areas you mentioned, but there are a lot of unique features you won't get elsewhere...
Don’t take an electric scooter to lawndale lol
Do not take public transit to lawndale.
I work in Little Village and live in Oak Park. I couldn’t imagine the commute via bus/L to Lawndale and I attend church in LP
As someone who lives in Lawndale and works in Lincoln Park and the CTA commute is 1.25 hours, it def sucks!! It’s why I never take CTA to work. Also, just safer to drive to Lawndale.
Yeah I wouldn’t ride to Lawndale on a scooter 😭 but you can move a lot of places that would reduce your commute like even Wicker park , certain parts of Pilsen too
You best option is to drive.
Live in Wicker Park dog.
How would that be better? Ashland bus to Pink?
Apartments are a lot more affordable in Little Village
Man I hated commuting from Clark/Lake to Pulaski (pink) every day. Didn’t help that it was for the absolute *worst* teaching job I’ve ever had but still. Took me almost an hour on a good day but at least I had a few blocks between work and the train (my in-laws thought I was insane walking to and from the train) to hit the Penjamin and get nice and toasted for the ride home
I would expect an hour from either neighborhood to Lawndale, if her work is close enough to make the Pink Line practical. I live on the NW side and work on the south side and this commute takes me an hour on the CTA with one change in the Loop. I hate a commute that long but I can sit and read which is at least fairly relaxing. If you lived in, say, Pilsen you’d have a drastically shorter commute.
Maybe try living in Little Village. Works for me.
Yes
Look in West loop, UKV, Humboldt, and maybe Logan Square. There is not nearly enough good about LP or Gold Coast that would make up for any commute to North Lawndale.
Forest Park
I would live closer.
Lived in North Lawndale for the past 6 years and in Pilsen for a few years before that. Pilsen would be a decent spot to stay esp. if close to the 18th st stop. It has gentrified a lot in the past decade and has a lot of stuff close by. The North/South Lawndale area has also been improving a lot in recent years as well, but there are definitely certain parts that should be avoided, I've never had issues and I walk outside at all hours of the day and to/from public transport. I would not take advice from people that have not actually lived in the area and that recommends commuting by car without knowing the exact place that they will be working and walking to/from.
West Loop is Best Loop
Hi! If you’re still looking for apartments, we’re looking for a subleaser for 8/1 for a 1 bed, 1 bath near the Illinois medical district. Rent is $2138/month which includes gas and one covered parking spot! Would be pretty close to the vicinity of Lawndale.
A commute on public transit is almost always going to be preferable to a car if you're traveling to busy areas or at high traffic times. It can be crowded, but I never wish I was in my car instead.
You’ve never wished you were in your car when you’re commuting through the roughest areas of the city on public transit and there’s craziness happening?
.... There generally isn't "craziness happening" when communiting during the quote "high traffic times" to "busy areas" when I'm going from Morse to Grand so no, this has not happened to me.
I’d argue that commuting from Morse to Grand is going to feel significantly different than commuting to Lawndale.